Thread cleaning and truing device



p 1951 A. P; HELDENBRAND 2,567,480

THREAD CLEANING AND TRUING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1946 v 14a 10a INL/ENTOR.

ATTORNEY mentioned that is light and easy to handle and Patented Sept. 11, 1951 l 1 vUNITED STATES 1 eArENr oFFicE I 2,567,480 THREAD CLEANING TRUING DEVICE Arthur P. Heldenbrand, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application March 27,1946,SerialNo.657,563

My invention relates to an improvement in 3 thread cleaning and trueing devices. While this 3 device is designed for cleaning and trueing threads on oil well tubing and in couplings used "therewith, the device is also applicable for use" wherever threads are to be cleaned and trued up for reuse.

" The object of the invention is to provide a simthe threads will be'cleaned and trued up ready for reuse.

'A further object is to provide a tool of the kind can be operated successfully by hand.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the tool de- 1 signed for working on the threads on the exterior 5 of a piece of tubing or other material.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view through the tool, the view being taken along the line in Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows. v A I Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the device, the

'view'being as seen from the line V-V in Fig. 1

and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the tool and a piece of threaded tubing, and illustrating how tool is used.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified form of the tool, the tool being adapted for use on internal threads as is in a pipe or tubing coupling.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the tool and a pipe or tubing coupling showing how the tool is used thereon, part of the coupling being broken away for convenience of illustration.

Similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings the tool is shown as being made of a piece of tubular spring material l0 and having internal threads H. The tubular member I0 is cut from end to end leaving an open space or gap I2 from end to end of the tubular mem- 1 Claim. (01.10-1) v z tubular member III are I I3 that extend from the bottom of the tubular member 10 to a point just a little above the threads H but terminating at'a pointwell below the upper end of the tubular member l0.

Positioned within the upper end of the tubular member I0 is a spider element having preferably three legs l4, l5, and I6, each having a pin Ma, [5a, and 5a, the pin l5a somewhat loosely fitted in a hole I8, with the pins'liia and Ila slidably fitting in elongated holes or slots I9 and I! so that the spider legs l6 and H can move slightly in the direction the tool is-being rotated as the tool is used.

At the juncture of the legs of the spider and positioned on the center axis of the tubular'memher It! is a standard or shaft 20, the lower end of which is rigidly connected, preferably by being welded, to the spider legs l4, l5, and I6 and projects upwardly therefrom. The upper or outer end of the shaft 20is made multi-sided as at 20:]

*as a wrench hold on which a wrench 2| may 'be' 'pl'aced'and by which the tool may be turned to do the job of cleaning and trueing up of the threads being worked on.

Theshaft 20 may'also be provided with a hole 22 through the upper or outer portion thereof through which a bar or rod, not shown, could be passed and by which the tool could be turned instead of using the wrench 2|.

The tool, as shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive operates as follows: As shown in Fig.6, the tool is being used to clean and true up the threads'Z3 on the outside and end of the pipe or tubing 24. The tool body [0 being of a C spring tension type for the purpose of proper engagement of pipe threads is designed so that in a relaxed position neither pin I la nor l6a is engaged with either end of the holes IT or I! but both pins are nearer the outside ends of the holes I! and I9. To insure a free following of the threads in the tool between the threads on the pipe, and to maintain the proper thread engagements without excessive binding, the tool at no place must be allowed to forcibly contract so as to bind on the threads of the pipe. Therefore since the shaft 20 is rigid on the spider ll-lS-l 6, and the spider pin l5a is stationarily mounted in the tool wall l0 and opposite the expansion and contraction gap l2, and by turning the tool by the shaft 20 in the direction of the arrow A, which is screwing the tool on the threads of the pipe, the spider pin Ilia will engage the tool wall If! at the end of the pin receiving opening I!) in the wall portions her It). At other spaced locations around the B adjacent the gap I 2 and will push the tool wall a plurality of-cuts or-slots.

II to open or urge the further opening of the gap l2 whereby the circumference of the tool may be slightly and springably increased because of the heavy drag on the tool by the damaged pipe threads that are being reconditioned by the tool.

When turning the tool in the direction opposite to A; which is unscrewing, the pin Ila engages the end of the hole I! and in a like manner, as in above paragraph, tends to open the gap [2 thus allowing a free turning movement of the tool.

In Figures 7 and 8 is shown substantially the same device as above described except that the device is designed for use on internal: threads instead of external threads. In this design the threads Ila are on the outside of the tubular member Illa, and the reverse ends of the elon-.

gated slots 11 in the wall portion C and [9 in the opposing wall portion just across the gap 42 are set close to the pins Mia and Ma from that shown in 1 and 6' inelusive; otherwise the design "ofvibe 4301 isfthesame as described. In the d'esigniin Figures 7 8, as the tubular member-1m is screwed into'aiemale thread, forthe purpose 015 strai htening or making true those flrreads, the shaft being attached stationary same as in Figure :1. The pins 150, and Ma a pesit on re no e n ei h r end the 110188 11 or 18 but are closer to the inside ends oi both-that is the-end nearer gap I2.

herein befepe described the tool should engage the threads firmly but without bindin while in a turning: motion; therefore when a torque is applied to the shaft 28 in either direction the-gap must tend to close, making the r circumference oivthe tool smaller, thereby causing a free following motion; w en turnin t oi-in he direction of the arrow the pin Maengages the end of hole I8 and when turning in the opposite'direction the pin;-,

a engages the end of hole H.

The cleaning, straightening and truing of the threads is dependent upon the clamping tension due to the quality and the'rigidity of the spring design of the body Illa,

' Suchmodifications'oi myinvention may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention.- Now having fully from a second point in advance of the slot extending through the entire length of the tubular element relative to the direction of rotation of the tubular element to permit and assist in the shown and described my invention, what I claim In a thread cleaning and truing device of the kinddesoribed; said device having a tubular portion, said tubular portion having a plurality of slots therethrough that extend from one end of the tubular element to points spaced away from springable-adjustment of the diameter of the tubular element during the process of cleaning and'truing threads of the tubular goods, said means for rotatably driving the tubular element being a multi-legged spider element, one of the legs of the spider being stationarily engaged with the tubular element at the said point diametrically opposed to the said slot extending the entire length of the tubular element, a second leg of the spider. element having its end portion movably seated in an elongated slot that is circumferentially disposed in the unthreaded portion of the tubular element and adjacent the slot extending the full length of the tubular element, the last said leg end being engageable with the tubular element wall at either end ofthe said elongated slot, a third spider leg, the'end portion of the third spider leg being movably seated in a second elongated slot that is in circumferential align ment withthe'first said elongated slot, the third said spider leg end being unengageable with the wall of the tubular element at either end of its respective elongated slot by the limitationv of themovement of' thesecond spider legend in its respective elongated slot whereby the tubular element may be rotarily driven by the spider and still left free for expansive movements as aiore mentioned, and shaft means on said spider for turning the-spider and associated partsv ARTHUR P, HELDENBRAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthisv patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,391,223 Burrows Dec. 18, 1945 

